|
 |
|
| |
|
 Glenn Orientation Home |
 |
|
|
|
NASA Vision
NASA is an investment in America's future. As explorers, pioneers, and innovators, we boldly expand frontiers in air and space to inspire and serve America and to benefit the quality of life on Earth.
The NASA Mission
- To advance and communicate scientific knowledge and understanding of Earth,the solar system, and the universe
- To advance human exploration,use,and development of space
- To research,develop,verify,and transfer advanced aeronautics,space,and related technologies
The GRC Mission
As a diverse team working in partnership with government, industry, and academia to increase national wealth, safety, and security, protect the environment,and explore the universe, we develop and transfer critical technologies that address national priorities through research, technology development, and systems development for safe and reliable aeronautics, aerospace, and space applications.
Agency-Specific Mission: Aeropropulsion
A major Glenn Research Center Agency-specific mission is to develop, verify, and transfer air-breathing propulsion technology for subsonic, supersonic, hypersonic, general aviation, and high-performance aircraft and rotorcraft. Relative to this mission, GRC also conducts fundamental research in propulsion-related materials, structures, internal fluid mechanics, instrumentation, controls, and systems. Aeropropulsion encompasses turbine engines, all varieties of intermittent-combustion engines (compression and spark-ignited),electric engines,and all other types of engines used on aircraft.
Agency-Specific Mission: Aerospace Power Systems Research and Technology
The NASA Administrator has designated GRC to be the Agency ’s mission provider for aerospace power systems research and technology.This role is crucial to future NASA missions and potential new initiatives and will benefit aeronautics and space in support of all NASA Enterprises. Responsibilities include the leadership and management of advanced power systems research and technology development and where appropriate, support of NASA ’s power system development.
Center of Excellence: Turbomachinery
GRC has Agencywide responsibility for technologies directly applicable to fans, pumps, compressors, turbines, and other rotating components. Turbomachinery technologies are critical to air-breathing propulsion and power systems as well as to space and terrestrial propulsion and power conversion applications. Associated turbomachinery components include fan containment, cases, combustors, bearings, seals, gears, inlets, nozzles, sensors, and actuators. Disciplines critical to leadership in turbomachinery include materials, structures, lubrication, acoustics, aerodynamics, heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics, combustion, icing, instrumentation, and controls. GRC’s primary objective in this area is to increase turbomachinery safety, durability, reliability, performance, efficiency, affordability, and environmental compatibility to improve U.S.industrial competitiveness and national security.
Program Responsibility: Aerospace Propulsion and Power Research and Technology
GRC has lead center management responsibility for NASA ’s Aerospace Propulsion and Power Research and Technology (R&T) Program, one of seven Base R&T programs in the Aerospace Technology Enterprise. This program focuses on maintaining U.S.superiority in engine development and ensuring the long-term environmental compatibility, safety, and efficiency of propulsion systems. The program addresses critical propulsion technology needs across a broad range of investment areas, including revolutionary advances in conventional aeropropulsion, unconventional propulsion technologies, and air-breathing aerospace propulsion. This program develops technology that supports the 4 pillar goals and 10 objectives of the Aerospace Technology Enterprise. In addition,the program supports and transfers applicable technologies to the Agency ’s programs, including Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET), Aviation Safety (AvSP), Advanced Space Transportation (ASTP), and Quiet Aircraft Technology (QAT).
Program Responsibility: Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology
GRC has lead center program management responsibility for the Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program. The vision of the program is to develop and validate revolutionary propulsion technologies that will enable future generations of aerospace vehicles. Emerging technologies from the Aerospace Propulsion and Power R&T Program and other technologies will be incorporated in the UEET Program. The technologies developed and demonstrated will be applicable across the speed range from subsonic to hypersonic, with the emphasis on turbine-based systems. The UEET Program will lead to other focused programs,including engine system test demonstrators accomplished in partnership with other government agencies and industry. Technologies developed in the UEET Program will also likely be transferred to other programs, such as the Advanced Space Transportation and the Quiet Aircraft Technology.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
